United States 

Department of 

Agriculture

Animal and 

Plant Health 

Inspection 

Service

April 2013

Analysis in Support of Certification that the 

Rule will not have a Significant Economic 

Impact on a Substantial Number of Small 

Entities

Proposed Rule

APHIS 2013-0016

RIN 0579-AD81

Importation of Fresh Blueberry from Morocco 

Policy & Program Development

Policy Analysis & Development
i

Summary

This analysis examines the expected economic impact for U.S small entities of a 

proposed rule that would allow the importation of fresh blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.)

from Morocco into the continental United States. 

The Small Business Administration’s small-entity standard for U.S. farms that produce 

fresh blueberries is annual receipts of not more than $750,000. In 2007, the average market value 

of sales by the 7,516 U.S. farms that produced fresh blueberries was about $53,000, well below

the small-entity standard. 

Morocco expects to export 360,000 pounds of fresh blueberries to the continental United 

States annually. This quantity is equivalent to about one-tenth of one percent of U.S fresh 

blueberry supply, 2007-2011. Morocco is expected to export fresh blueberries to the continental 

United States in July and August. The U.S. blueberry season is from April to August. Even 

though the two seasons overlap and most if not all fresh blueberry producers in the United States 

are small entities, the relatively small quantity expected to be imported from Morocco would not 

significantly affect the U.S. market or prices. This proposed rule, if promulgated, will not have a 

significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. 
1

Introduction 

This analysis provides the basis, as required by the Regulatory Flexibility Act, for 

certification by the APHIS Administrator that the proposed rule, if promulgated, will not have a 

significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.

APHIS received a request from Morocco to authorize the importation of fresh blueberry

(Vaccinium corymbosum L.) into the continental United States. Currently, the regulations in 7 

CFR 319.56 prohibit the importation of blueberry fruit from Morocco. This action proposes to 

allow the importation of blueberries under a systems approach. 

In response to Morocco’s request, APHIS produced risk analysis and risk management 

documents. The latter identifies the risk mitigation measures expected to prevent the introduction 

of plant pests in the commercial shipments of blueberry. These measures include approved 

postharvest treatments, inspections for pests during growing seasons, and certification that 

consignments of blueberries meet phytosanitary requirements. 

The Regulatory Flexibility Act requires agencies to evaluate the potential effects of their 

proposed and final rules on small business, small organizations and small governmental 

jurisdictions. Section 603 of the Act requires an agency to prepare an initial regulatory

flexibility analysis (IRFA) that describes the expected impact of the rule on small entities and a 

description of any significant alternatives to the proposed rule which accomplish the stated 

objectives of applicable statutes and which minimize any significant economic impact of the 

proposed rule on small entities. In place of the IRFA, the head of the agency may certify that a 

proposed rule will not have a significant economic impact on substantial number of small 

entities. 

 
2

U.S Blueberry Production and Trade

The United States is the largest producer of blueberries, providing 60 percent of the 

world’s supply in 2010, followed by Canada (27 percent) and Poland (3 percent). In the United 

States, the majority of blueberries are picked from April to August.1Fresh blueberry production 

is a growing industry; it expanded by 86 percent between 2007 (about 150 million pounds) and 

2011 (about 279 million pounds) (table 1). Per capita consumption has increased from 0.59 

pounds in 2007 to 1.26 pounds in 2011. 

Table 1. U.S Fresh blueberry production, imports, and exports, 2007-2011, million pounds 

Year Production Imports Exports Net supply 

2007 150.28 77.37 50.60 177.05 0.59

2008 194.11 114.89 64.19 244.81 0.80

2009 225.65 133.28 64.28 294.65 0.96

2010 246.54 169.24 70.23 345.55 1.11

2011 278.80 192.54 78.49 392.85 1.26

5-year average 219.08 137.46 65.56 290.98 0.94

Source: USDA/ Economic Research Services table 4

 http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/MannUsda/viewDocumentInfo.do?documentID=1765

million pounds Per Capita 

Consumption

The United States is a net importer of fresh blueberries. From 2007 to 2011, the United 

States imported 137 million pounds of blueberry per year on average, while exporting 66 million 

pounds. In 2011, the quantity of blueberries exported by the United States totaled about 78 

million pounds, and net imports totaled about 114 million pounds (table 2). Canada, the 

principal destination, received about 90 percent of U.S. fresh blueberry exports between 2007 

and 2011.

 

1 USDA/Economic Research Service, monthly exports data table 33 

http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/MannUsda/viewDocumentInfo.do?documentID=1765
3

Table 2. U.S fresh blueberry exports, 2007-2011, million pounds

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Average 

2007-2011

World 50.60 64.19 64.28 70.23 78.49 65.56

Canada 47.03 59.88 58.90 63.65 69.97 59.89

Japan 0.97 2.06 3.26 3.71 5.74 3.15

Hong Kong 0.15 0.29 0.40 0.71 0.78 0.47

South Korea 0.15 0.33 0.29 0.53 0.42 0.34

United Kingdom 1.85 1.18 0.63 0.20 0.36 0.85

Rest of the world 0.45 0.45 0.80 1.44 1.22 0.87

Net imports 26.77 50.70 69.00 99.01 114.05 71.90

Source: USDA/ Economic Reseach Services Total Exports of fresh bluberries table 24

http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/MannUsda/viewDocumentInfo.do?documentID=1765

Million Pounds

Chile is the leading supplier of blueberries imported by the United States, followed by

Canada, Argentina, and Mexico (table 3). Blueberry imports from Chile have boomed in recent 

years. Blueberries from Chile have a relative low tariff and Chile’s production schedule is 

counter-seasonal to that of the United States. U.S. imports increased from about 77 million 

pounds in 2007 to about 193 million pounds in 2011. 

Table 3. U.S fresh blueberry imports, 2007-2011, million pounds

Year 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Average 

2007-2011

World 77.37 114.89 133.28 169.24 192.54 137.46

Chile 37.83 61.90 74.23 100.95 122.71 79.52

Canada 27.30 36.74 41.09 43.43 42.37 38.18

Argentina 11.50 14.38 15.88 20.56 20.99 16.66

Mexico 0.07 0.29 0.79 2.10 4.11 1.47

Uruguay 0.27 1.25 1.03 1.76 2.04 1.27

New Zealand 0.38 0.32 0.25 0.23 0.17 0.27

Rest of the world 0.03 0.01 0.00 0.21 0.15 0.08

Source: USDA/Economic Research Services Total Imports of fresh blueberries table 27

http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/MannUsda/viewDocumentInfo.do?documentID=1765

Million Pounds 
4

Potential Impact on Small Entities

Blueberry production is classified within the North American Industry Classification 

System under Berry (except Strawberry) Farming (NAICS 111334), for which the Small 

Business Administration’s small-entity standard is annual revenue of not more than $750,000.2 

The latest data on the number of farms that produce blueberries are found in the 2007 Census of 

Agriculture, which reports that the average market value of blueberries sold per farm was about 

$53,000.3 Clearly, most if not all blueberry producers are small entities. 

Table 4 shows that between 2002 and 2007, the number of farms that harvested 

blueberries increased from 6,428 to 7,516, and the number of acres increased from about 52,000 

to over 60,000. U.S. fresh blueberry production has significantly increased over the past years

with the increase in the number of farms and harvested acres. 

Table 4. U.S. blueberries: Number of farms and area harvested in leading States, 2007

and 2002

State 2007 2002 2007 2002

 7,516 6,428 60,353 52,002

Michigan 758 590 19,641 12,274

Oregon 713 659 5,185 3,887

Washington 475 289 3,926 289

Florida 442 343 2,376 1,646

New York 407 351 1,097 842

Georgia 343 408 4,802 4,451

Mississippi 317 249 2,209 1,289

North Carolina 297 267 5,323 5,009

New Jersey 268 240 7,605 7,468

Alabama 207 196 347 400

California 186 97 2,232 827

Arkansas 82 140 269 675

Others 3,779 3,189 24,982 25,219

Source: NASS, Census of Agriculture, 2007 and 2002.

Number of Farms Acres

U.S 

 

2

Small Business Administration Table of Small Business Size Standards 

http://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/files/Size_Standards_Table(1).pdf

3

2007 U.S. Census of Agriculture and USDA Economic Research Services (ERS) U.S Blueberry Industry 

 
5

Morocco expects to annually export 360,000 pounds of fresh blueberries to the 

continental United States. This quantity is equivalent to about one-tenth of one percent of U.S 

net supply. Morocco’s blueberry production has increased from 200 acres in 2007 to 500 acres in 

2011.We expect shipments to arrive in July and August, during the latter part of the U.S. season. 

Any impact on U.S. producers is expected to be negligible, given the relatively small quantity 

that Morocco intends to export to the continental United States. The APHIS Administrator has 

determined that this action, if promulgated, will not have a significant economic impact on a 

substantial number of small entities.